Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue
by Auphanim
Summary: The toys of his own just aren't always that much fun. Orochimaru would rather have the pleasure of taking other people's playthings. ZabuzaHaku OrochimaruHaku
1. Prologue: Let your Guard Down

**Welcome** to my very first Naruto fanfic!

**I know** my summary sucked.

**Be warned**, there is going to yaoi and violence in this.

**In this chapter** there are no real warnings.

**Yeah, I also know **this is really short. –Bows.- The first chapter should be out soon.

**Oh yeah!** I don't own Naruto or anything. -- Not even this computer.

**That's all!** Yeah, not many author notes today. WIBIYOT!

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**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow onHis Tongue?**

_**Prologue: Let Your Guard Down**_

It was a small little house. Big enough for two, but no more should ever be made to live in it. The house was made completely out of wooden, blending in well with the forests that surrounded it. The house itself was normal, composed of two bedrooms, a large bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Not a thing unusual about it, excluding, of course, the residents.

To be certain, it wasn't normal people that lived on the outskirts of the little town nearby; isolated from the rest of the community and hidden in the leaves from the rest of world. No 'normal' person would want to be separated from life like that. But all these facts; the closeness of the town, the isolation it provided; all of these things added up to being quite useful to Zabuza and Haku.

Two missing-nins… There couldn't be a better place in the world for them to be hidden away. No one would stop and look in such a quaint little house, next to such an unheard of little town. Not even the Hunter Shinobi had thought to look for them there yet.

And so, Haku and Zabuza had given it the name of 'permanent base', though it wasn't really permanent. They left it quite often, sometimes for days, usually for months. But always, they came back. In the younger shinobi, the house represented something that he had lost a long time ago; a real home. For the elder, it was just a useful place.

Both knew that someday, they would be found. But for the moment, they were both content and happy with their location. And for the moment, they decided that it would be okay, for just a little while, to let their guards down.

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_reviews are nice D_


	2. Ch 1: Do you Remember?

**First **of all, I'd like to announce that I don't own Naruto. How sad. 

**And now**, if you'd be so kind, I'd like to tell you that this was inspired by a rather long RP I was involved in a while ago.

**Everyone** who read or reviewed; thanks a bundle. D

**The warnings** for this chapterare OC, shounen-ai.

_**Italics**_ signify a flash back. Woo.

**Oh yeah!** Start the first chapter now! FAETIO!

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**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

_**Chapter One: Do you Remember?**_

The morning forest was quiet, the first shimmering glances of sunlight just beginning to show up over the horizon. Birds that had been silent through the night slowly became to awaken, their voices slowly filling up the sky with their songs.

Haku loved the morning, especially around here. It was so peaceful and calm, and if there would've been snow on the ground, he could've sworn he was in another time and place, before anything had happened… when he'd still been wanted by his original family.

The boy sighed, looking up from his seated position on the ground. He'd always loved this place… Did Zabuza remember it; when they had first shown up here, so many years ago? It was hard to tell. If the elder shinobi did, he didn't make it very clear.

Letting another great sigh slip out between his lips, the dark haired ninja flopped to the ground on his left side, his knees bent slightly and his right hand laying palm-down just in front of his face. Staring almost unfocused at the world, Haku mulled over the things in his life.

Motionless, with only the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, the boy stared off into space, only snapping out of his thoughts when his white rabbit jumped up next to him, interrupting his contemplations by nuzzling against his stomach.

Shaken, though not letting it show, Haku's eyes drifted downwards to eye the bunny, but otherwise didn't move. He'd lain like this once, only then he'd been lying in a snow bank and freezing to death. Now, he was there of his own free will.

Shoving thoughts of his past away, he sat up slowly, drawing his pet into his lap. With a soft smile now gracing his lips, he scratched at the white creature's head, knowing just what spots to pet and nurture.

"How are you today, my little friend?" The mist-nin's voice was quiet, barely much more than a whisper. It always took on that slightly mothering tint when he was speaking to his beloved pet, though he'd never named the little rabbit.

Not getting a response from the small creature, he scooped it up into his arms, cradling it so it wouldn't feel frightened or be uncomfortable. "Let's go see what Zabuza-sama is doing…"

The fuzzy animal in his arms stiffened, knowing all-too-well who Zabuza-sama was. The scary man that held the animal up by its ears. The scary man that wanted to eat him.

Looking down at obviously horrified rabbit, the shinobi gave it an apologetic smile. "He's not that bad… Well, only when he's trying to cook you for dinner, but that doesn't happen too often anymore."

An angel, he truly looked like, with dark, straight hair hanging around his beautifully feminine face. His pale skin was unmarred and pristine, looking as if no troubles had come anywhere him. The pink kimono, though rather plain, somehow even managed to look ethereal on him.

But underneath this pure, saintly look, held a soul stained by the sins of all humans; emotions. What he had done; the people he had ruthlessly murdered, the families he ripped apart – all were done for the sake of one man.

The man he loved.

And so, as it seems to be for all of human kind, his greatest sin in the eyes of so many was to be in love.

The rabbit's ears twitched, knocking Haku out of his silent day dream. Sneezing as the soft fur brushed against his nose, the dark eyed boy looked back down at the bunny in his arms, giving it a small smile.

They were almost back to the house he and Zabuza had claimed. Overall, he didn't mind it, but truly, he couldn't wait to get into town… With a reminiscent smile, he wondered if Rose remembered him.

"Haku?" a gruff, questioning voice whispered across the trees, eliciting a tiny shiver up the young nin's spine.

"Zabuza-sama(1)…" The boy looked up in the direction of the voice, and gifted with the sight of his tall, muscular teacher.

The Momochi had obviously been training, wearing only a pair of training pants. Sweat was dribbling in rivulets down his back and chest, the light glinting off the wet muscles. The bandages that were usually guarding the bottom of his face from view had been discarded, revealing the tan skin beneath.

"Where were you?" The question was very nonchalant, but Haku was used to the elder's gruffness and seemingly uncaring sides. He knew that the former mist-nin had been worried about him, even if it was only slightly, and even if it was irrational.

Giggling slightly at the question, he knelt down and let the rabbit hop out of his arms, scratching it once on the head before moving back into a fully standing position, his eyes locked on the man in the tree above him.

"Walking in the forest, Zabuza-sama." He knew it wasn't the answer Zabuza wanted. Zabuza knew that Haku knew what he'd meant.

"Always a brat," the elder mist-nin muttered, making sure it was loud enough for Haku to hear. The younger one just gave a smile. "What were you doing?"

"Hmm…" The young shinobi looked away, back towards the direction he had just come from. "I was thinking… more like reminiscing, actually."

A frown. "Reminiscing about what?"

Smiling again, Haku leapt onto the branch next to Zabuza in one graceful movement. "Don't you remember this village?" His head tilted very slightly to one side, as if to better view his master's face and emotions.

Grunting softly, Zabuza frowned, looking away from his subordinate's face. He knew that behind the pleasant, soft, understanding smile lurked a certain brat-like quality. It was that 'oh come, you can't have forgotten, can you? you've gotten old' look, hanging back behind the softness.

Or maybe he was imagining things. Either way, he was reluctant to say that he had, indeed, forgotten about this village. Unless, of course, there had been nothing to forget and Haku was just teasing him.

The elder nin eyed his student, earning him a slightly confused and worried look.

Why did the kid have to be a brat? What had happened to the nice little kid that would do anything without questions? This… this thing, this teenager… was far too complicated, and far too driven by emotions.

Wasn't there anyway to skip ahead a few years?

Sighing, the man awkwardly scratched the side of his face, looking back at the younger, paler one beside him.

"There was something worth remembering that happened here?" There. That wasn't a bad response. Haku could take it as him not remembering, or as him just being an ass, trying to drag some annoyance out of his student.

But as always, Haku could see straight through him. "You really don't remember..? It happened just a year or two after we first met…"

* * *

_The missing-nin duo had stumbled into the village dirty and tired, aching and ready for a good place to rest for the remainder of the day._

_They'd gotten into the village just before the sun was rising, and had spent the majority of the morning looking for an inn to stay in. It was a surprisingly small village, very far out of the way and very unimportant. Yet still, the only inn in town had been filled to the brim with guests._

_Oh, luck sure did shower on them._

_By the time the afternoon had arrived, Haku had begun to wear down, being just a small child and needing some rest after such a long trek from his homeland._

_Both he and Zabuza were dirty, filthy even. The two barely had any money, greatly limiting the supplies they could buy, but even a gruff man like Zabuza could see that Haku would need at least something to eat if he was to keep traveling._

_Finding a nice, white bench to flop onto, Zabuza led Haku over to it, sitting them both down. Across the street from them, a woman stood on the corner, practically throwing herself on the men that walked by._

_The young boy stared at her, wondering what on earth she could be doing. Cocking his head to one side, he watched her at her work, before looking up at his master and tugging gently on the older man's shirt sleeve._

_"Zabuza-sama… what is that woman doing?" he asked, his still young voice rather high-pitched, but still soft and calming._

_The mist-nin looked up, spotting the woman across from them. "That's a prostitute, she's selling herself."_

_Haku's eyes widened in understanding. "Was that building we passed a while ago a place where they gather?"_

_"That was a Geisha house, Haku. They're usually seen as a step above the common prostitute… Geisha are more like escorts than actual pleasure slaves, though they can be used that way."_

_Zabuza knew that Haku wouldn't understand. If the boy had questions later on in life, he could answer them, but for now the boy seemed to get the general idea and nodded slowly, looking over at the woman again._

_Sighing and deciding that it was time they got something to eat, he patted Haku on the head. "Here, take this money and go get us something to eat." The man held out a few coins; enough to buy a decent enough meal._

_With wide, innocent eyes, the young boy took the money in his two hands before hastily shoving them into a pocket of his kimono. "What would you like, Zabuza-sama?"_

_"Human," he replied, smirking a bit. Of course, being a child, Haku didn't necessarily understand the nuances of sarcasm._

_"Right, sir!" With a determined look on his face, Haku set off for one of the buildings, leaving Zabuza's line of sight._

_In his childlike mind, he was putting two and two together. Zabuza wanted human… and Geisha sold themselves… so what better place to find some humans to eat than the Geisha house Zabuza had told him about!_

_Smiling, he stepped into the traditionally-style building, looking up at all the beautiful women as they rushed back and forth. Spotting one that looked fairly close to his age, the young boy ran up to the Geisha._

_"Excuse me," he said politely, tugging at the Geisha's long kimono. The woman looked down at him, grinning at the little boy._

_"Well, aren't you a little cutey? What can I do for you?"_

_"I want to buy you." He took the coins out of his kimono, holding them up to the taller person. "Is this enough?"_

_"..." For a moment, the Geisha stared at him, completely unprepared for the young boy's questions. "Uh… well… I-What does a little kid like you want with a Geisha?"_

_"Oh! It's not for me, it's for my father (2)!" Haku answered happily, a smile growing on his face._

_"Your father asked you to get him a Geisha? I bet you don't even know what we are." The Geisha looked pissed, crossing her arms over her chest._

_"I know what you are. You sell yourselves, correct?"_

_The Geisha eyed him. "You shouldn't know that much about us at such a young age…"_

_"I want to buy you for breakfast."_

_"Well, you can- wait, what?"_

_"For breakfast," Haku repeated, the innocent smile lighting up his face. "Zabuza-sama said that he wants human for breakfast, so I figured that I would come here and buy a Geisha for him to eat."_

_The Geisha almost laughed in relief. It was just a child, confused by the world around him. "Hey darling," the escort said, kneeling down, "I like you. Why don't you run off and get your father, and I'll treat you both to breakfast and a bath."_

_"Ah, really! That would be wonderful! I didn't really want to eat another person anyway..." The boy was practically beaming._

_"Heh heh, yeah, and for free too! My name's Rose (3)," the Geisha said, extending her hand towards the younger child._

_"It's nice to meet you, Rose. My name is Haku."_

_"It's good to meet you too, now run off and go get your father." The Geisha patted him playfully on the butt, spurring along his movements._

_The young boy ran off back towards Zabuza, finding him sitting at the same bench as he had been when he'd left. The prostitute was no where to be seen._

_"Zabuza-sama! Zabuza-sama!" Said nin raised an eyebrow at the accomplished look on Haku's face but said nothing, noting the obvious lack of food._

_"I found a place where we can get breakfast for free!"_

_"For free?" the mist-nin echoed, eyeing his young companion. "And just where would this be?"_

_"The Geisha house! I met someone named Rose, and she said that she'd give us food for free!"_

_"The Geisha house? Why on earth did you go to the Geisha house in the first place Haku?" His voice was exasperated, and his mind was racing with the possibilities of what troubles Haku might've gotten himself into._

_"Well, you said that you wanted human, and since Geisha sell themselves, I figured the best way to get human was to buy one." Zabuza mentally smacked himself in the forehead. "But they she offered to just give us a free breakfast, and a bath too!"_

_Not waiting for the elder man to reply, he eagerly grabbed Zabuza's arm, dragging him back to the Geisha house while the man mentally prepared himself for whatever berating he would most likely be receiving from the women of the Geisha house.

* * *

Ah, now he remembered. It had been… one of the single most embarrassing parts of his life with Haku. Trying to explain to quite a few angry women that there had just been a misunderstanding with some of his words and jokes. _

Eyeing Haku now, he wondered if the boy's teenage self had somehow planned that event out for the future, just to watch Zabuza get annoyed.

"I remember now… Rose, was his name?" Yes, Rose. The Geisha that practically fell in love with Haku, lavishing things on him until the very minute he left. In fact, another reason he remembered Rose was the fact that the Geisha was a man. A man that looked incredibly feminine.

Just about as feminine as his younger companion.

"Yes, that was his name. He was very kind to us," Haku replied, smiling softly again. He wondered if Rose would remember him if he went to visit the Geisha. It had been many years since they had last seen each other, but perhaps the older boy would remember him…

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Zabuza patted him on the head as he had all those long years ago. "I'm sure he remembers you. Who could forget such a feminine little boy?" The 'feminine little boy' gave him a mock glare, but the effect was ruined by the slowly growing smile encompassing his face.

The rabbit's ear twitched as it looked up from the ground.

"Do you think so…?" Now, it was Haku's turn to move his gaze away from Zabuza's, staring instead at the thick forest of green leaves surrounding them.

"Just go. You can always remind him as you reminded me." Those were the most encouraging his master's words could get, and Haku knew and appreciated the effort nonetheless.

"Thank you, Zabuza-sama," he whispered, turning and throwing his arms around his teacher's neck, giving him a quick hug.

After disentangling his arms from the older man, the shinobi jumped down from the tree, running off towards the village.

Shaking his head slightly and watching as his student ran off, Zabuza tried to ignore the fact that the hug had left him with a definitely more-than-friendly feeling tingling up and down his back.

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1 – I know he uses 'san', but I dunno, 'sama' is more respectful, and I just like it better for Haku. 

2 – I figured that little Haku would think of Zabuza as a father…

3 – Rose is twelve at this time, just a few years older than Haku.

**r e v i e w p l e a s e**


	3. Ch 2: A Dying Animal

**So** I finally got off my butt and started the third chapter.

**Joy!**

**Once again**, thanks to all who read or reviewed.

**And** I still don't own Naruto.

**Pretty sure** that's all I wanted to say. SJOAP!

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**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

_**Chapter two: A Dying Animal**_

It was dark, like a cavern, and just as secluded. All was silent, save for the occasional sound of kunai thumping softly into the bark-flesh of a training dummy outside the shaded windows.

Rich and darkly colored cloth hung in artistically placed designs, giving the entire room a sinisterly decadent feel. A few candles burned, barely adding any illumination to the room, but they were only lit for show anyway. Desk and bookshelves alike were brimming with knowledge, whether it in the form of scrolls or books. Only one desk held anything that might be considered pointless.

Jars upon jars were lined up on it, each jar holding liquids, and something else. With the light of the candles reflecting back from the glass containers, it was hard to tell what was inside. The only thing that broke the monotone of glasses was a shriveled, blackened hand, standing straight up into the air. On the pinky was a ring.

A memento of time spent in Akatsuki.

With a low grumble, the owner of the room rolled over in his bed, tearing the thick blankets that obscured his golden view off of his face. Glaring up at the dark ceiling, the man had to face the facts that had once been pushed back as a form of denial.

Orochimaru was bored.

Usually, boredom was easily countered, as there always seemed to be problems in Otogakure, but today, he just didn't _feel_ like dealing with them. In fact, he just wanted to do something frivolous and entertaining.

Childish? No, never. Always very responsible.

Frowning at nothing in particular, the snake-like man tossed the covers off of his body, wincing as a splinter of pain struck through his arms from the action. (1) It seemed like a bright red spider web, starting at the parts of his arms and hands that moved and then quickly crisscrossing across the whole length of the appendages.

Hating his sensei all over again, he clenched his teeth and gracefully pulled himself into a sitting position. Now that comforts and temptations of his bed and staying in it for the rest of the day had been dispelled, there was still the question of what to do.

It was a tedious question, and surprisingly difficult to answer. What was there to do anyway? Well, obviously there was nothing he wanted in Otogakure. If there was, this sudden problem would be non-existent.

As stated earlier, there was usually something to do in the village of sound nins, but all of those somethings held no attraction for him that day. Hell, not even the seductive lure of Kabuto's body dispelled the disinterest that hade seized him.

Sighing, he rubbed his temples with his index and thumb fingers, trying to discourage a headache that seemed intent on coming no matter what he did. Almost growling with sudden annoyance, he stood from his bed, revealing his body to the eyes of whatever might've lurked in his shadows.

Quickly and quietly changing into an outfit indistinguishable from any of the many others that filled his closet, the snake-like man found himself once again torn between a few options. This time, it was about Kabuto and the other sound nin that resided in his village.

Should he tell them he was going, or simply leave? It wasn't as though they really needed to know; after all, **he** was the superior here, not them. But still, he didn't want them to needlessly worry and therefore waste time perhaps looking for him.

And he certainly didn't need anyone to think that he had run away and left a good position open for who ever was brave enough to take it.

It was these minor concerns that led him to his right-hand's quarters, opening the door quietly without so much as a knock to let the other know that he was going to be intruding upon the other's privacy. Orochimaru never claimed to be considerate.

The silver haired man looked up from his book as soon as the door to his room opened. Unlike his superior's, Kabuto had his room well lit, the lights on and the curtains drawn back to allow sunlight to wash into the room. The light glinted off his glasses.

Sometimes, Orochimaru had the strange idea that the light on the boy's glasses reflected his mood. That somehow, the inanimate object caught his feelings and somehow become reflectors for any light that might be nearby at the moment. He sniggered, earning a strange look from the boy.

He was almost surprised the glasses didn't somehow change.

"Orochimaru-sama…?" the other dared to venture, wondering what had put his lover into such a strange mood.

"I'm bored, Kabuto-kun." The answer was almost a purr, and it sent a shiver shimmering down the silver hair nin's back. Boredom usually led to sex. And the sex was always good.

Knowing this oft-proven fact, Kabuto stood from his desk, a small smirk on his face. "Oh, and just what shall we do to alleviate this… problem?"

The snake-like man smirked right back, happy that his little medic nin felt that he knew his superior enough to assume what he wanted all the time. "We? Heh… there's nothing that **you** can help me with today," he said, lacing his voice with just enough venom to sting, "**I**, on the other hand, am going out."

Kabuto didn't respond to the cold shoulder Orochimaru shoved his way. "Going where…? Will you take someone with you?" His gaze drifted to two heavily bandaged arms.

"I hardly think I need anyone to assist me," he growled out, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Even with this… handicap, I'm quite capable of fending for myself." The golden gaze hardened even more. "I don't need you."

The phrase held quite a bit more than just assuring his subordinate that he would be all right. It was a threat, and the other knew it. Orochimaru had to make sure that Kabuto knew his place around here. They might share the same bed occasionally, but it was just sex.

No attachments.

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." The silver haired nin had become quite cold since that last remark. It brought a smirk to his teacher's lips.

"Inform the others." A simple command, and he was out of the room, not even paying attention to the bow Kabuto gave him or mumbled reply. He knew that although the boy became cocky sometimes, he was still a very reliable servant.

Not bothering to even pack some supplies for his trek, Orochimaru slipped unnoticed out of his own village. It wasn't a test for his shinobi, as he might've done in the past, so he knew they'd had no chance of seeing him.

Now moving swiftly through the forests that surround his village, the snake charmer was reminded of his home village. What a hellish place that had been. Everyone in Konoha was up on a high pedestal, too concerned with morals to dig down deep and find actual answers to questions.

And as soon as someone attempted to get to the root of the problem; to fall off their pedestal and get dirty, they chastised him and exiled him. So what if a few morals were broken? There are more important things in life.

No one in the village of the leaf had understood that simple fact. Not even his sensei had seen the need for improvement; had been able to grasp the fact that for **true** genius to shine through, some sacrifices were necessary.

After all, there had only been about a hundred bodies in his basement… they were far too sensitive about things like death.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice that someone was following him. Well, more like two someones. Glaring and glancing back over his shoulder, he sped up a bit, getting farther ahead of his pursuers before he dropped down from the branches of the trees.

Landing on the ground below, he turned around, making sure it looked as if he could still use his arms perfectly. Still glaring, he stood his ground, his facial expression not changing even as he recognized to the two who dropped down after him.

Well, he hadn't actually recognized the two; not yet. But he recognized who they represented. Black coats… red clouds… and those damn hats. Akatasuki had found him at last.

"We've been looking for you, Orochimaru," said one of the men, fixing the snake man with a Sharingan-filled gaze.

Itachi. Perfect.

"Why, Itachi-kun, good to see you again," he answered smoothly, his voice dripping with fake kindness.

"Leader-sama isn't happy with you." That was the other one. Immediately, the snake knew who the Uchiha's partner was. Kisame. Fish face. Ugh.

"I expect not, after all, I left without even a goodbye." He smirked. "Did I hurt _Leader-sama's_ feeling by leaving his bed so abruptly?"

"At least pretend to be worried; for our ego's sake," Itachi answered, his face as neutral as ever.

"Ah, Itachi-kun… Pretty as always, I see… Still, I think you'd look better with a seal on your neck."

"Cute. Too bad that will never happen."

"You're so sure?" Orochimaru sauntered over to the younger man, lifting a bandaged hand to ghost over his past lover's fine features.

"If you couldn't put one on me when I was younger, what makes you think you could now?" His question, though taunting, was devoid of any real emotion. His glare deepening, he ran his fingers along the Uchiha's slender neck.

"Would it kill you to put some emotion into your words?" He dug his fingernails into soft white flesh, earning himself nothing more than a half-assed glare.

"Perhaps. I'm not here to waste time, though, snake charmer." The dark haired teen jerked his neck, dislodging the fingers. "We're here to offer you two options."

"Oh? Options? What a joy."

"Shut up," Kisame growled, his sharp teeth glinting in the light. Just like Kabuto's glasses. Orochimaru snickered.

"As brash and unrefined as ever. I suppose Leader paired you two up to try and make our amphibious friend a bit more civilized."

"Why you-"

"As I said," Itachi began, cutting off the beginnings off a fight, "Leader-sama has decided to give you two options. Either you rejoin Akastsuki, or…"

"We kill you," the shark man answered, grinning at the though of beating the rebellious trouble maker into the ground.

"And such wonderful options they are. Sadly, I'll have to decline both." Orochimaru glared pointedly at Itachi. "There's a reason I left in the first place."

"What's happened to your arms?" Pointedly ignoring the pointed staring. Typical, but still earned him an even more heated glare.

"You can't fight, can you?" A fish, adding a bit more heat to the fire.

"Don't try to run." A weasel, advising a snake.

"You two are easy enough to beat. Why don't you just run off, back to your leader? I'm sure he's eager to see you both again."

"Hmph." With that, Itachi withdrew a kunai, darting forward quickly, aiming for the snake's shoulder muscles. As expected, the sound nin leapt backwards, successfully slipping out of range.

It obviously wasn't going to be that easy, and Kisame behind him, bringing his scale-sword across, cutting horizontally through the air. Orochimaru crouched down, rolling to one side as the greatsword suddenly changed directions and headed straight down.

Ignoring the dirt that got thrown up as the sword crashed into the unsuspecting ground, the snake got on his feet, only to have a hand shoot up from the earth and pull them right back out from underneath him.

Grunting as he hit the ground, Orochimaru immediately kicked the hand away, watching it dissolve with a poof. But soon enough, the sword he'd grown to know so well already was swinging down towards him yet again, and this time he couldn't roll fast enough.

The sword caught part of his arm, shaving away at the tender, blackened flesh and sending sparks of agony flying through him. Crying out, Orochimaru jerked his body away from the fish man, but pain blinded his sight. Before he could see again, he felt the sharp blade of a kunai ram itself into his chest.

Even as the original shock of the knife's impact faded, shuriken and kunai cut into him, making him fall to one knee. Before they could cause anymore damage, he pulled the weapons out, flinging them at his enemies.

Unsurprisingly, none of them hit, but it did give him time to recover a bit. Looking at his opponents and trying to ignore the pain in his body, the snake charmer belatedly realized that he was in absolutely no condition to fight on his own.

He couldn't even think clearly enough to draw the sword that lay coiled inside his body. Lost in thought, he didn't even notice the flash that signified Itachi moving until a fish slammed into his stomach, knocking the top part of his body forwards.

Not even giving the other time to glare, the Uchiha drew his arm back, replacing it not even seconds later with his knee. Grunting and gritting his teeth, Orochimaru allowed his eyes to close and he felt the Sharingan user's elbow crash into his back, more than likely breaking a few ribs.

Managing to regain his sense a bit, Orochimaru stretched his neck out clamping his teeth down on the dark haired boy's wrist, sinking his fangs into the flesh and closing down until he felt bone snap.

The Uchiha immediately jumped back, delivering a kick to the snake charmer that sent him flying into a tree. His neck back to its normal length, Orochimaru glared back at his still impassive adversary. Before he could begin to form any seals to aid his escape, shuriken and kunai bit into his arms.

Crying out again in pain, he forced his arms up and his hands to work, forming the seals as quickly as possible. A flash came up before his eyes, signifying that his transportation (2) jutsu had worked.

When the white faded from his sight, he found himself staring up into the leaves of another forest. For a moment, he panicked, thinking that he might not have moved far enough away, but he soon realized that this was a different forest.

Birds were flying in the canopy of this forest. They were of every color and every size, each one seemed to have its own independent melody and sound. They were very beautiful in their variety.

His forests had no birds like this.

Assured, Orochimaru let his eyes drift closed for a moment, giving into his sudden exhaustion. Opening them again, he found to his horror that it was taking them a while to focus.

A little ways off, he could hear someone running. Quick, light steps that were heading his way. Trying to will himself to move, he found out belatedly that his muscles were a bit too set on this whole 'giving in' thing to listen to him very well.

The footsteps drew closer, and they were slowing down. They finally stopped, right next to him, and someone crouched down. He saw dark hair and pale skin, but then his eyes finally gave up and closed.

Just as he was verge of passing out, he heard one soft, feminine voice quickly tease him.

"Seems I've stumbled upon a dying animal," the mysterious figure teased, a musical quality dancing in the tone.

Bastard.

Then he heard and felt nothing.

* * *

1.Really downplaying the amount of damage done to his arms. .o Let's just say he's getting better…? 

2. Who's to say he can't teleport many miles in a flash? He knows tons of techniques anyway. Don't yap at me if this is incorrect.

Sorry about the bad Itachi-writing-ness. This is my first time trying to write him. ; I hope it isn't too awful.

Also, that was my first-ever fight scene! It was bad.

Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS OR WHATEVER YOU CELEBRATE!

_r e v i e w_


	4. Ch 3: A Pet

**Well**, after some prodding from friends and strangers alike, I finally decided to sit down and write this out.

**As always,** thanks to everyone who read or reviewed.

**Truthfully**, I had no idea for a little while what to do with this chapter, as I was torn between two options.

**Amazingly,** that was solved. Speaking of amazing, I don't own Naruto.

**Now onto** the third chapter. More notes at the bottom. WATAN!

* * *

**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

**_Chapter Three: A Pet_**

He was dreaming.

It was a very basic conclusion to come to, really, though it was hard to tell what tipped him off to the lack of logic first.

The flying gumdrops or the pink koala bears everywhere.

Orochimaru decided the blame the koala bears. For some reason, they were littered everywhere, acting as if they belonged right where they were. Which they didn't, of course. Otherwise the snake would've ignored them.

But no, they were right were they were **not** logically meant to be. They were in the middle of one of Konoha's parks. And everyone knew that the inhabitants of Konoha hated koala bears.

Somehow, though, it seemed the little bears could read his thoughts, as his arms were suddenly jumped on by a pack of the rabid beasts. Chewing, scratching, biting, and generally making his arms feel as if it would be better if they simply gone rather than having to stand this any longer.

Thankfully, it was around that time he woke up, to the discovery that pain wasn't koala-inflicted.

And that it was much worse out of his dream than it had been.

Biting his lip to stifle a rather pathetic cry of pain, he clenched his eyes closed as tightly as possible, trying desperately to block out the sharp stabs of discomfort that were currently running wild in his arms.

As he tried to roll into a more comfortable position, those sharp stabs spread to the rest of his body, particularly around his chest. This time, he couldn't suppress the pained groaned that leaked out between his lips.

For the moment it took for him to relax his muscles and simply catch his breathing again, he wondered what had happened to reduce him to such a pitiful state.

Then, it all can crashing back down on him; Itachi and Kisame; the fight, if one could even call the pathetic display he had put up a fight; and finally his jutsu that had led him right to some taunting brat.

Daring to open his eyes, he found himself staring up into a wooden ceiling that was definitely not his own. His mind shouting warnings at him, Orochimaru considered his options.

He could stay here and pretend to be asleep until he learned more about his 'captor', or he could try and move away as quickly as possible, and hope that he could get back to some place that he knew was safe.

The latter option didn't seem, in his opinion, to be that great, but then again, the former wasn't much better.

As he stopped to mull over this some more, his mind focused more on the wounds scattered over his body. Many of the wounds, it seemed, had been treated. In fact, now that he thought about it, the bandages around his arms had been changed.

Suddenly, the former option was looking a bit brighter. Perhaps Kabuto had followed him, and gotten him safely somewhere…? It was possible. Unlikely, but still possible. He had learned rather early on in his relationship with the boy that it was best to not underestimate him.

Now distracted by thoughts of Kabuto and the many skills the silver haired youth possessed, Orochimaru almost didn't notice the door opening.

Almost.

As soon as the quiet creaking noise reached his ears, he perked up considerably, ready to bolt (well, as much as he could) if anyone who looked like they might be in cahoots with Akatsuki walked through the door.

Surprisingly, he didn't see a threat come in, just… a young girl with a bowl of soup on a tray.

Huh. Go figure.

He stared dumbfounded at the girl for a moment, having not at all expected to see someone that looked so… harmless come through the door.

The girl, for her part, merely smiled at him, walking over gracefully with the tray held out just in front of her rather flat chest. Strange, for a girl of her age, she should at least have **something** there, but apparently not all were blessed as blessed as Tsunade.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, setting the soup down on a table conveniently close to the bed. "Are you in any pain?"

Immediately, Orochimaru stiffened, recognizing the voice of his taunting rescuer instantly. That insufferable little girl thought that she was strong enough to call him a dying animal?

Inside, he was raging with fury, ready to rip the girl limb from limb. His physical body, however, wasn't quite up to snuff in terms of tearing people apart.

So instead of arguing or answering verbally, he merely opted for a third option; pouting.

Though it was a completely powerful and fearsome pout.

Again, his only answer was that smile and a gentle laugh. "I suppose that was a stupid question to ask. Are you hungry, then?"

Just before Orochimaru could snap that he wasn't hungry, his stomach decided to answer for him with an obscenely loud gurgle. He looked down at it, as did the girl. "…Perhaps just a bit."

"Heh heh, I'd thought you'd be," she answered before inclining her head towards the soup. "I made it for you. It has a few… unique herbs in it that should help to encourage healing and reduce pain."

The snake glared, but moved over to the welcoming liquid, nodding slightly. Almost cautiously, he moved a shaking hand, carefully gripping the spoon and beginning to eat. It hurt like hell at first, but as he went on it seemed to get more bareable.

Either he was getting used to the pain, or this soup really did reduce pain. He looked at it curiously, wondering what was in it. Maybe he could snag the recipe from this girl and have Kabuto learn it…

"What's your name, little girl?" he asked in between bites. The soup, for the most part, tasted all right. It wasn't extraordinary, but it was good enough, and it made him feel better.

"My name is Haku, and I'm a little boy," the girl, or rather, the boy answered, earning a shocked stare from the eating man. "Don't drop your spoon on the floor."

Orochimaru sat gaping for a moment, his mind working furiously to try and figure out how he had been fooled. But he couldn't see it; there was just no way a boy could be so… feminine. It was unheard of, and he'd seen some very pretty boys in his life.

To make sure, he reached out with one hand, effectively groping the boy's chest. Haku yelped, smacking at the hand and jerking back out of reach. You try to be nice to a person and they grope you…

Really, he supposed it was understandable, to a degree. After all, he'd just told the man that he was boy, and that usually shocked everyone he ran into. But most didn't just grope him…

Haku shook his head, a small smile on his face. Maybe this guy was just from a very strange, very open place. Or maybe he was just a pedophile. It wasn't any of his business, really.

The pedophile in question just smirked at the dark haired boy, suddenly becoming more appreciative of his little care keeper. Girls were nice, it was true. He wasn't really all that picky, but boys were more his thing; more interesting.

Girls, for the most part, just kinda laid there and moaned, completely accepting whatever you did to them. Now boys, they were much more entertaining. They were things of pride, and didn't often back down from a challenge. It certainly made romps in the bed more exciting.

Though he always knew that he could top anyone, it was fun to let them believe they might have a chance to be anything but uke in a relationship with him. And, on occasion, he wasn't against letting someone else… ah, handle the reins, as it were.

Regaining his wits finally, after quite an embarrassing lapse, Orochimaru slowly started into the soup, noting that it had cooled off a bit in his absence. Tch.

Haku, though having obviously calmed down a bit, still looked flustered after the sudden 'attack' on his chest.

"You enjoy your meal, I'll be right back," the dark haired shinobi said, making himself a flimsy excuse to get as far as possible from the man.

Not wanting to give the other a chance to reply, just in case he was forced to stay any longer, the mist nin bowed and left the room, leaving behind a chuckling snake.

Things certainly had become fascinating; just what he had wanted when he left his village. Sans the being attacked part.

Now that he had more time to think about his situation alone, Orochimaru took this time to brood, and eat more of this soup.

Why had the kid saved him? It didn't seem as though he was getting anything out of it rather than a dangerous S-ranked criminal as a charge, but the boy wasn't asking any questions; he didn't even ask what had happened.

The kid had just… accepted that he needed help, and was content with the facts that he knew. That couldn't be right. People weren't like that. People were cutthroat, and only looked out for themselves. For someone in this day and age to be consider and naturally caring, he would have to be insane.

Either that, or had someone who could take care of the tasks that required cruelty and conviction under any circumstances. And as the boy didn't come off as insane, Orochimaru figured that he had someone. The only question was, who?

Hmm… now that was something to think about.

* * *

Haku had gone out to where Zabuza was training, deep in the heart of the forests that surrounded their little 'house'. 

Truthfully, the idea of sharing a house with the elder nin had always thrilled him slightly, making the boy giddy and not the least bit bouncy. Of course, he never let that show anymore, having learned that emotions were best left buried and dying.

Still, Zabuza had been around Haku enough to notice the little things about him, like how his eyes always got a certain light in them when he was happy or pleased with something.

Just like now, there was a certain light in them that meant that he was hiding something, or was nervous. Zabuza glared, almost tempted to just say 'out with it; what have you brought back?' but resisted, waiting for his young partner to explain himself.

"Zabuza-sama," Haku greeted in his normal voice, a small smile playing on his lips. He couldn't help but smile when he was around his sensei.

"Haku," the elder man replied, giving the boy a curt nod. "What is it?"

"Ah… I found a dying animal outside," he answered vaguely, that smile still on his face, though it grew a bit wider.

"Oh?" was all he got as a response, and a certain look from his teacher that demanded a better explanation.

"I believe it's a rather large snake. I found it lying, hurt and defenseless. It looked like something had attacked it," Haku continued, knowing better than to say that he had picked up some random stranger. "It's in my room now, I'm nursing it back to health."

"A rather large snake…" The man seemed to mull over these words, turning them around in his head. "Why bother trying to save it? If it was dying, let it die. If it's as big as you seem to think it is, it would probably make a good meal."

"Zabuza-sama! Don't talk about it like that," Haku admonished, a mock glare on his face.

Zabuza just grinned behind the bandages, shaking his head. "You can keep it if you really want, but it won't travel with us. Just fix it up and let it go. You can visit it when we come back here again."

The teenager smiled, glad to have his way. But that was how it usually went, with Zabuza giving into his pleadings. At least, in the menial things. When it came to actual business and serious matters, he would always follow the older man, but with pets and saving animals, as long as it didn't disrupt their lives or training, it was fine.

Or more like not his problem.

Haku appreciated it nonetheless. He knew many people wouldn't get away with antagonizing the killer as he did. "Thank you, Zabuza-sama."

A grunt was his answer as the other went back to his training, and Haku turned on his heel, heading back towards the cabin. "Oh, I made some soup. I'll heat it up when you're ready for dinner."

His words didn't receive a reply, but he hadn't been expecting one. Really, it was a bit strange how they could understand each other so easily, but he supposed that it just came from living with him for so many years.

Thoughts of their past brought a sigh from the boy, the longing that their relationship be something more substantial than what it currently was coming up from where it was usually hidden.

It had taken him a while to discover what exactly his feelings for the elder man were, and when he had first slammed face first into them, a wave of denial had kept him from admitting anything. After finally giving in, he still admitted nothing. After all, clinging to Zabuza and yelling that he loved him would certainly ruin the 'emotionless tool' image.

As he thought, he bit into his bottom lip, chewing lightly. In truth, he was frightened of what the other might do if he did suddenly decide to tell him. He might turn Haku away, or perhaps grow even colder.

Or make Haku leave and find a more peaceful life.

Already, he could tell that Zabuza was beginning to regret dragging him out of the snow so many years ago. He could tell that the elder man was plagued with something everytime he looked at him, as if he wished to give Haku something more.

A sigh. If only Zabuza could understand that all he really wanted was to be by his side for the rest of his life. But that couldn't happen until Haku admitted that he was in love.

It seemed his problems just went round and round like a carousel. Never-ending, and with no solution in sight safe the hardest ones.

But hey, if it wasn't hard to obtain, it couldn't really be worth it, right? And this was most definitely worth it.

In all his ponders of Zabuza, he had completely forgotten about his new 'pet'. He swallowed, suddenly nervous. Although he acted as if nothing bothered him, the snake like man he was caring for made him rather nervous.

He'd never seen eyes like his; golden and with slit pupils. As if pulled out of a cat. The mental image alone made him shudder, his sympathy always going out to animals.

Even as the man scared him, he knew that there was no way he would've left the poor man out there alone to die. When he had come upon the snake, he'd been on his way to the village nearby, intent on talking to Rose again. But the sight of a wounded man had made him stop, and instead of going to talk to his old friend, he had gotten himself landed with a nursing job.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, his charge had groped him. This time he did shudder, not at all liking the idea of being touched by the creepy man again.

Sighing once more, he reached the house, looking up at it. He really liked this place; so peaceful and quaint. Not like the huge cocoon-like thing that they had been in last time. This was much cozier.

Opening the door carefully, he slipped his shoes off inside, shutting the door behind him before walking down the hallway to see how the man was doing.

Seeing Rose might have to wait for a few days.

* * *

Yey, the third chapter (finally). Sorry for the wait. n.n 

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I really do appreciate anyone who reads and/or reviews this. It's very encouraging, and keeps me going with this thing.

And if you asked (or are planning to ask) something, I'll get around to everything eventually. e.e Eventually.

That's all.

_r e v i e w_


	5. Ch 4: Rising Tensions

**Oh joy!** Writer's block is really mean. :(

**However** I did finally get this done, and I like it well enough.

**A warning** for this chapter would be dish!homicide, sexual innuendoes, and an impromptu make-out session between two humans of the same gender. That's right. YAOI!

**So** as you might have guess, I don't own Naruto. O! Whoa. Fooled you all.

**Thanks** to all who've read or reviewed; whenever I'm really stuck, looking at the reviews get me in the mood to write. ; That's all for the notes. OHAST!

* * *

**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

_**Chapter Four: Rising Tensions**_

Four days. It had only been four days.

And yet, somehow, Haku was ready to strangle the life out of his precious little 'pet'. Student of Momochi Zabuza, little friendly child from Mist, rumored to be the most patient nukenin in the history of them all; it took a lot to get Haku really worked up into anything that resembled patience, let alone violence. Orochimaru had managed to do it. In four days.

Haku, being a shinobi, of course committed violent acts, but they were all on behalf of his sensei; never had he attacked someone on his own whim. To be sure, Zabuza wasn't forcing him (too much) to fight, but the younger mist nin had never found much reason to respond with violence to anything.

Now, the teen was ready to amend that certain thought; at least, in the cases of annoying, snake-like men that seem to believe that since they have been **graciously** taken in when the teens that take them in don't **have** to even stop to move their broken bodies off the road, they can demand whatever they like of said teenage boys, stopping just short of the boundaries of child molestation.

At first, Orochimaru's demands had been half-way logical; an extra blanket, some more soup, freedom to putter around the house when Zabuza was out, and so on and so forth; things Haku could **understand**. But now – now he was just getting ridiculous.

'Sleep in my bed; it's too cold', or 'Come here, and be my pillow', and once Orochimaru had even had to gall to be blunt: 'I feel like getting laid… Come here.'

Needless to say, Haku had bolted out of the room, his eyes as wide as saucers. The boy had slammed the door shut, leaning back against it and begging to all the gods that he had ever heard of that there would be someway that he never had to see his pet again.

Of course, that didn't help him one bit. A pet takes care. And food. Orochimaru wasn't quiet when he was being annoyed, and within an hour of running out of the room, Haku was back in there listening to the man talk on and on about absolutely nothing just so he wouldn't be shouting.

Now, Haku could understand the man not wanting to be by himself all the time – after all, he wouldn't be exactly happy stuck in a room for hours on end – but the groping had to stop. Period.

As with all things, it had started out bearable, if not welcome. A light touch here or there, a lingering hand; perhaps even a full-out undressing with the eyes; all was bearable. Orochimaru, however, had decided to grow a bit bolder, touches turning into caresses (yes, there was a difference), and once the undressing had leapt from the eyes to actual articles of clothing being removed.

Haku, after all was said and done, was human too, and unlike many other humans his age, had a very keen sense of modesty that was slowly being destroyed by an… 'over zealous' old coot.

In short, it was driving him absolutely, 100 insane.

Not that he showed Zabuza or even Orochimaru this, of course. His sensei, for all the man knew, believe him to be raising a little snake he'd just stumbled upon. And since snakes aren't too hard to take care of – just give them a sun beam and they'll wallow around there for a while – his training hadn't decreased at all; perhaps even increased a tiny margin.

With training and caretaking, and not to mention taking care of all the 'womanly' chores around the house (Zabuza was prone to forgetting such trivialities like food and cleaning), Haku was exhausted.

And this wasn't just the 'I'm tired, leave me alone' exhausted, oh no. This was the full blown 'If you tell me to do one more thing today I swear I'm going to scream and cry and shit bunnies before ripping your soul out and making it into a bed' tired.

And this was the state Zabuza found his young little apprentice in, the boy flopped on the couch as if he were nothing more than prettily-made rag doll, tossed aside in a hurry by some snot nosed little brat.

Chuckling, the older man walked over to his poor student, giving the boy a few pokes that earned him a low growl. Other than that, Haku refused to move, his hand only coming up to wave at the offender when another series of pokes attacked him.

"Your pet that hard to care for?" Zabuza asked as he made his out of arm's reach of the younger shinobi, just in case the other summoned up some hidden reserve of energy and stabbed him in the arm with a few senbon needles. That wouldn't be pleasant.

"It's getting that way," came the muffled response. It seemed the boy was disinclined to summon up any hidden energy supplies, for the use of stabbing Zabuza or to even bother to move his head from where it was buried about the cushions of the couch.

Probably, the elder of the two reflected, it was safe to continue harassing the calm little ninja. Part of him really wanted to just annoy the boy to no end; punishment for all the annoyances Haku caused.

"Maybe you're so exhausted because you've been sleeping on the couch these past few days?"

That, at least, was true. There was no way that Haku was going to trust sleeping in the same room with Orochimaru. After all the very unsubtle innuendos that the snake-like man sent his way, Haku was quite sure that the couch, however uncomfortable, was a blessing when compared with sleeping anywhere near the creepy old man.

"Why have you been sleeping out here? The pet that much of a bother?" Zabuza frowned; if it was going to be affecting his student so much, perhaps he should take that pet away. It wouldn't exactly be good to get caught by ANBU because of a worn-out shinobi. And he was sure their hunters weren't going to take a break just because Haku was sheltering a little animal for a while.

"Uhh… It likes the bed, and I don't have the heart to move it," Haku answered, his face finally emerging from the cushions of his makeshift bed. It was a mostly truthful answer, but the first one his mind came up with had something to do with screaming about pedophiles and indecent relationships.

That might've made Zabuza suspicious.

The answer Haku supplied, however, did nothing to make him suspicious, and the elder merely shook his head, thinking Haku too kind to animals. He'd never been entirely sure why the kid liked animals so much. A rabbit he supposed he could understand; they were… cuddly. But a snake? Well, at least it was manlier.

"It's only a snake; don't let it make you too tired to train, or you'll have to let it go." Zabuza ended the conversation there, standing up from his seat. He ruffled Haku's hair on the way out, smirking at the mixture of pout and frown on his young companion's face.

Left alone again, Haku rolled onto his back, staring at the wooden ceiling of the room. Idly, he counted the grooves in the wood as he contemplated what he should do. The snake would probably want something soon. He rolled his eyes at the thought; there was no way to keep that man happy.

Still, as long as his pet was quiet, all was well. Well enough, anyway. And that was all he needed, Haku decided, throwing an arm over his eyes and sighing. Way too much work for a pet that he didn't even want anymore.

* * *

Orochimaru, really, couldn't be happier. Everything he had wanted to accomplish had happened, and more.

His boredom had subsided, the wounds Itachi and his fish of a partner were being treated, his arms were being treated, and, on top of all that, it seemed the boy who had decided to help was inclined to do almost whatever he asked of him. Too good.

For once, he could give into his lazier side, and cast aside the worries that usually plagued him. No village no take care of, no Kabuto to tend to, nothing. All Orochimaru had to do was avoid Momochi Zabuza and the rest would work itself out. With the help of, Haku, was it? Perfect.

The Sannin grinned, surprised at his good luck. It wasn't often that he got to relax anymore, and what had once been a humiliating defeat had become just that; almost a vacation. With a very nice server. With a very nice looking server, to be more precise.

Idly, he wondered what cave Zabuza had kept the boy in for him to be so kind and caring. Any shinobi with the intelligence of a fly (and there were many of those, in his opinion) knew that to stop and help another would be certain death in most conditions. Haku, however, seemed to be blissfully unaware of that particular rule.

And the boy had no idea how to respond to sexual innuendoes. It was actually quite amusing to watch the kid turn beet red or glare. Orochimaru chuckled remembering the last really good one he had tossed out. Of course, his words had earned him a needle to the arm, something he didn't want to experience again, but it was well worth the pain in entertainment value.

There was, as always, a downside to this. Because he had to avoid Zabuza had at all costs, he was usually confined to this room. It hadn't been so bad when he was injured and it hurt just to lay there still, now that he was recovering, a certain restless itch had crept into his veins.

Haku needed to take him out sometime. Who knew how many muscles were slipping into disrepair in this sudden idleness. Even when he was getting bored with his village, he had never been still for so long. He had to go out and train, or learn a new jutsu; shinobi couldn't just lazy around for days on end.

Well, that was one thing decided. Now, there was just the tiny problem of getting Haku in here. Hmm… how, how, how? He couldn't just call the boy – Zabuza might be in there – and he couldn't just get out of the room, because of the same problem. How annoying; he had to use problem-solving techniques on his vacation.

Frowning, the snake tamer crossed his arms carefully, ignoring the twinges of pain that leapt through his nerves from the action. He was still for a few moments, his golden eyes dancing back and forth. Suddenly, he grinned, a stroke of pure genius attacking him.

On the desk next to his bed sat a plate of food. Most of it was eaten, but there were a few leftovers. It was completely harmless, sitting innocently. It didn't deserve to die. But, as Orochimaru figured, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. With that, his arm shot out and pushed the dish off the table edge, a satisfying crash the only protest the dish made.

Out of the room, he heard a satisfying yelp of terror. Grinning from ear to ear, Orochimaru once again pointed out that he just couldn't be happier.

Haku, however was a different story, as Orochimaru noticed when the boy threw open the door, a cute little glare on his face and his hair messy. No matter how strong a fighter the boy might be, it was hard to take such an adorable shinobi seriously. So he usually didn't.

The adorable little shinobi had been about to fall asleep on the couch. He'd been so comfy and relaxed, the silence around him only interrupted by the soft chirping of birds outside the window. So peaceful… and suddenly….

CRACK

A yelp had escaped him, his body immediately flailing as he pulled his weapons out. This flailing had quickly led to him falling off the couch, landing roughly on the wooden and faced with no visible enemies. He had been confused for a moment, before a glare had overcome his features, his gaze landing on the door to what had once been his room.

And thus, here he was, glaring at the man that he was trying to help. Though really, at the moment, he was incredibly sorry that he hadn't just left the snake-pedophile-man-thing to die a slow a painful death. Haku knew that whatever had happened to the man, he had probably deserved it.

"What?" he ground out, marching over to the snake. As he got closer to the bed, he noticed the shattered dish on the ground, a few pieces of food mixing with the shards of porcelain. Figures.

"Oh, Haku. Didn't hear you come in," Orochimaru grinned, watching as the boy's already narrowed eyes grew even more so. Cute. "It seems I've accidentally dropped a dish…"

"Oh? I hadn't noticed."

"Yes, well, I had suspected as much." An even more heated glare. Orochimaru chuckled.

"Is there a point to all this, or would you like me to just clean your mess?" Haku asked, his eye twitching ever-so-slightly.

"Someone's getting a bit grumpy. Don't forget, I'm trying to get better here," the Sannin answered, looking as pitiful as possible. Which wasn't very.

Haku rolled his eyes. "Oh please, how can I help you feel better now?"

"Some physical exercise wouldn't hurt. Sparring, perhaps. Or running around? I'm getting restless." It wasn't really how he liked to go about things, but Orochimaru decided that getting straight to the point every now and then would be the safest way to go about keeping his head securely on his neck and intact.

"No. Zabuza would be bound to find you, and then he would probably kill you, and me as well, for that matter."

"You're a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

"You'd be dead too!"

"…You make a good point," Orochimaru conceded, humor hidden behind his eyes as he got the boy even more worked up. Suddenly, a lecherous grin broke out and he wrapped one arm around Haku's waist, pulling his close. "Well, I suppose I could just get some exercise in here."

Haku continued frowning for a moment, before he blinked in surprise, his mind registering just what the snake had said. A blush spreading across the bridge of his nose and tops of his cheeks, he squirmed in an attempt to get away from the man. However, Orochimaru's injured arm held him steadfastly, and the man leaned forward still grinning.

"Oh, come now; I'm not that horrible in bed. In fact, most people really enjoy having sex with me; I'm sure you'd like it to."

"I-I… uh…" While Haku was trying to stammer out an intelligent reply, the elder man finally closed the distance between them, capturing the teen's lips with his own. Stupidly, the mist nin gasped, allowing Orochimaru's tongue to slip into his mouth.

A barrage of feelings suddenly pounded on the dark haired boy – he'd never even kissed someone fully on the lips, yet alone made out with a person – but somehow his tongue knew exactly how twist and twine with someone else's, and his brain kicked into auto-drive.

Orochimaru smirked into the kiss, pulling the boy closer to his body until they were chest to chest, him leaning slightly over the other while Haku kept his neck tilted upwards to keep the kiss intact. Unbeknownst to the boy, he let out a moan, Orochimaru's hands beginning to roam over his body.

Haku clung to Orochimaru, the only anchor of support he seemed to be able to find. Sometime – he wasn't sure when – his eyes had drifted shut, and his world was nothing but the other man for a moment. Any and all anger had fled from him, replaced with a certain heat that he had only experienced a few times before.

After what seemed like an eternity, Orochimaru pulled back. Even an eternity didn't seem enough at the moment, and Haku attempted to follow him, his eyes opening. But then his body recognized why they had stopped. The boy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and as air came rushing back in, his mind seemed to click back on.

Almost immediately he shoved against the Sannin's chest, clambering out of his bed. Not giving the man another look, Haku went to his closet, flinging open the doors and grabbing the first articles of clothing he found.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. Talk about the cat getting the cream. The grin morphing into a smirk, he reflected that Haku wasn't a bad kisser – perhaps a bit sloppy, but it wasn't bad for a first try. Far, far from a bad try.

"Stay inside," Haku said shortly as he closed the closet doors and walked over to the door. Orochimaru frowned.

"Going somewhere? By the way, you're a pretty good kisser; some practice would help, though," the Sannin purred, the smirk back.

"I'm going to go see… a friend. I've been putting it off because of you," Haku answered, blushing but otherwise ignoring the snake's teasing.

"I can't come? I want to meet your friend."

"Just stay out of trouble, I won't be gone long." With that, Haku stepped out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

A frown slowly came over Orochimaru's face. He had rather enjoyed that impromptu make-out session, and was quite looking forward to the next one. But now that his curiosity had been peaked – Haku had a friend? – there was nothing that could sate it, except seeing it for himself.

A stalking mission was required.

* * *

That was the first time I've ever written a kiss like that. ;-; Hope you enjoyed it.

_r e v i e w_


	6. Ch 5: Plans and Searches

**Ugh**, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. Also, this chapter is pretty short. I'm having troubles writing this story.

**Anyway** thank you for all the reviews. They make me very happy, and I'm glad you all are enjoying this.

**For those of you** looking forward to Zabuza/Haku, I'm afraid it will be a while before that couple comes along.

**As always,** I don't own Naruto or any of its characters or themes.

**Fanfic time!** UAFAF!

* * *

**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

**_Chapter Five: Plans and Searches_**

The forest was calm, a quiet blanket of tranquility settled over it. The animals, though still carrying on as usual, hunting each other and such, were undisturbed, happy enough to be left to their own devices. Yes, all was well.

Until a little dark haired teenager decided to rampage through, destroying whatever peace the happy woodland creatures had been experiencing. Said teenager was looking quite ruffled, his arms folded over his chest and a glare fixed onto his face.

Haku was not happy. In fact, he was more than just unhappy; he was downright disgruntled, close to furious even! Now, Haku was known, by those that actually got very close to him, to have a very long fuse that not even the most annoying people could set off, but somehow that fuse was gone, leaving the young shinobi in a state of close-to-homicidal rage.

How could he have done that! And with that… that snake-thing, of all the people he could've kissed! Ugh, it was disgusting! Just thinking about what had happened almost half an hour ago made Haku shiver, hopefully with disdain.

Haku just couldn't get his mind off of what had happened. What had he been thinking? Had he been thinking at all? Maybe he could pass it off as just his overworking teenage hormones. He nodded to himself, agreeing that this was the only logical explanation for the sudden gravitation of his lips to Orochimaru's.

Suddenly, the shinobi stopped in his tracks, eyes widening with horror as a new, and truly frightening thought came upon him.

"Just… just how old is that guy anyway!" Haku gasped out, feeling as though he was going to be sick. Ew. Simply disgusting. The man had to be at least twice his age, probably more.

Haku leaned his head down, closing his eyes as he brought a hand up to rest against his forehead. This day, which hadn't started out very well, was just growing worse and worse as each minute passed. He almost expected something even more intolerable to happen at any moment.

As he stood silent, attempting to calm himself down, Haku wondered if what he was doing would really help him. Instead of going to Zabuza, he was going to someone he'd met years ago, who probably didn't even remember him. Was the walk worth it, if he was just turned away by someone who didn't recognize him?

"It's worth a chance, I suppose," he muttered to himself, allowing his hand to drop back down to his side as he began to walk again. "Even if he doesn't remember me, we probably need supplies from the stores anyway."

While Haku was slowly recovering from the 'near death' experience of earlier, Orochimaru was slowly becoming as annoyed as Haku had been when he started out on his walk.

The snake tamer had been following Haku, feeling particularly proud of the fact that he'd been able to ruffle the little shinobi's feathers so thoroughly. But just as he was really getting into that good, satisfied feeling, he'd overheard the boy talking to himself.

About his age.

Now, Orochimaru wasn't so very happy; in fact, his left eye was twitching just slightly. His wounded pride ordered a blood sacrifice, but he reigned in those urges. He was still hoping to have some fun with this kid. Besides, it was a good way to waste time until he had to go back to his hidden village…

And just as suddenly as Haku had stopped earlier, Orochimaru's bad mood lifted. An idea had just sprung into his head; an idea that, he was sure, would bring him at least a little piece of satisfaction, and would definitely keep his boredom at bay when he went back home.

Things were looking up.

* * *

Zabuza sat in his favorite chair, the giant sword he had become famous for laid out carefully on the ground at his feet, gleaming in the shaded sunlight that managed to leak through the slits in the screens on the windows. 

The swordsman had been out in the woods, training even though he was quite sure of his abilities. He'd not been on a mission in a few weeks, on the run from hunters, and wanted to be careful that his technique would not fade from his mind.

It was unlikely that anything such as that would ever happen to him, but there was always the off-chance that one had to be ready for. Thinking of problems and trials like that had kept him and Haku alive and well in these past years; there was no reason to break tradition now.

After Zabuza had declared himself suitably refined for the day, he had returned to what he supposed was his home for the moment. He and Haku had used this house in the past, and he'd been rather surprised to find that it was still a suitable place for them to rest.

When he arrived, it was to an empty house; he couldn't even hear the loud thing that Haku had been keeping safe in his room. Zabuza had sat down, then, and unsheathed his sword, beginning the tedious process of cleaning and sharpening the long blade.

Now, he was finished with that and… wasn't exactly sure what to do now. It had been a while since had last been alone with free time on his hands. Usually, with Haku around, there was something the brunet wanted to do, and Zabuza indulgenced in those wants, as long as they were reasonable.

Thinking of Haku made Zabuza glance up from his sword, eyeing the white rabbit that somehow managed to escape his wrath, even when he threatened it. Haku had been acting strangely lately, and, although he was loath to admit it, Zabuza had begun to get a bit worried.

The first instance had been, of course, when Haku had hugged him. It was very out of character for the young fighter; if he ever acted cuddly, it was towards the random animals he picked up along their travels.

Then, there was the new animal. Not that there was anything very different in Haku bringing home an animal, but it was very peculiar that Zabuza had seen neither hide nor hair of the creature. Often, whatever thing Haku had drug in would find its way out, leading to both shinobi chasing it. But Haku seemed to keep this one locked away very tightly.

Zabuza's gaze moved to Haku's door, his eyes narrowing. Could his young companion be keeping something from him? It was difficult to imagine; Haku keeping a secret. It was almost laughable, really. Sometimes, Zabuza really wondered how Haku managed as a shinobi.

Then he remembered that he was the only one who saw Haku when he was off his guard. When the duo was fighting, Haku was like an entirely different person; a tool, ready to jump at the slightest command. He was ruthless and precise, seemingly unconcerned for the number of human lives that fell to him and his master.

But when everyone else had left; when it was just Haku and Zabuza, it was as though Haku had taken off more masks than just the hunter one. The caring, soft Haku was always there at the end of the day, fussing over Zabuza or some other problem, and he was always there at the beginning of the day, making ready for their next journey.

Zabuza knew that to exist, shinobi had to make themselves into a duality; had to be able to snap feelings on and off in an instance; had to learn not to think of the enemy as another human. But he'd never met anyone who'd completed this as surely as Haku had.

It was as though he were two different people entirely; no one could ever guess that the boy behind the white mask was the same one that would stop and pick up random, helpless animals. He was so useful…

Which was part of the reason why Zabuza was worried about his partner. He'd become attached to the boy, and even depended on him a bit. After all, it was hard to disguise fanged teeth and a face recognized for miles. Haku, at least, was able to fit into a crowd easily enough.

Zabuza stood, running a hand through his hair. It was time to see what exactly Haku had been hiding from him. Well, he wasn't entirely sure Haku was hiding it from him, but damn! He was curious about this animal!

All Haku had said was that it was a very large snake, but it seemed to be causing quite a few problems to be just a snake, no matter what size it was. It was distracting Haku, and for some reason, that alone was enough to make Zabuza want to get it out of his house.

The shinobi stalked over to Haku's door, readying himself for anything that might be lurking in the room. In his mind, the snake was at least ten feet tall, with fangs as long as his legs, saliva dripping onto to floor. What else could be distracting Haku so thoroughly other than a true monster?

But as he threw open the door and peered inside, Zabuza was greeted with a less-than-exciting view: nothing. The shinobi frowned, wondering if the thing was just hiding somewhere.

He walked around the strangely clean room, scanning the area for possible hiding places. He opened the closet doors; nothing. He tore open the dresser drawers; still nothing. Under the bed, hiding in the sheets, under the pillows; nothing, zip, nada.

Zabuza sighed, sitting down on his tool's bed. Perhaps Haku was out with the pet now, letting it go free. Or just letting it stretch out in a more natural habitat. Hopefully, it was the former; Zabuza was ready for life to go back to normal.

With nothing left to do, Zabuza got up again, ready to go back to doing nothing for a while. But then he remembered something he had come across while he had been searching Haku's room; that broken plate.

The shinobi looked down at it, wondering when Haku had broken it. A frown came to his face; Haku wasn't clumsy by any means, so how could he have dropped it? Could it have been the pet that knocked it off?

Zabuza growled, getting sick of the guessing game. It annoyed him that he had no idea what exactly Haku had brought home with him. For all he knew, Haku had been making it up all along, though he wasn't sure what Haku would gain from anything like that.

Zabuza went back into the living room, flopping back down into his favorite chair. Not much to do, really. He glanced around, eyes resting on the sword at his feet once again. Much to his disappointment, he didn't see anything that need obvious improvement on his sword.

His gaze moved around again, before resting on the small kitchen just a few feet away. Usually Haku did the cooking, but the boy wasn't exactly around at the moment… and it would give him something to do…

A growl from his stomach decided the matter. Zabuza stood and made his way towards the kitchen, intent on cooking. Or at least attempting to do something similar to cooking. Whichever came first.

* * *

Yikes, really short, but I can't write anymore. The next chapter will be longer, I promise. 

Zabuza was in this chapter, to make up for his absence lately!

_r e v i e w_


	7. Ch 6: A Bite to Eat

**There will** be an important note at the bottom of this chapter.

**I don't** own Naruto

* * *

**Hasn't Everyone Wanted to Catch Snow on His Tongue?**

**_Chapter Six: A Bite to Eat_**

Haku was being followed, and he was acutely aware of it.

After years of traveling as a missing-nin, paranoia was practically carved into him, his natural habits altered to allow for searching and listening. Zabuza had trained him since he was very young that all mysterious sounds – all of them – should be traced back to its source, whether it be deer, bird, or in worse-case scenario, hunter-nin.

After years of working in the outdoors and practically living off the land for the most part, Haku had learned to recognize the distinct sounds of many animals. The slight difference of the weight of do's footsteps compared to a buck's; the rustling sound leaves made when a snake slithered among them. He was sure he could name many animals by sound alone.

It was these years of experience that told him he was being followed by a shinobi – and quite a skilled one at that. Who ever was tailing him was almost silent, though he (she?) obviously couldn't help the slight bend of a tree branch or the unnatural shuffle of a leaf or two.

The teen had been on edge since he had first noticed this presence behind him; it was nerve racking to think that he had caught of the attention of a hunter-nin, not to mention a bit humbling since his bad temper was probably to blame for it.

But he really couldn't help it! Haku had kissed a snake man; and not just a quick brush of the lips or a tap on the check. It had been a full out, tongue meshing horror of a kiss, and the young man just couldn't get over it – in more ways than one.

At the moment, however, he was mentally cursing himself for going out so carelessly. Haku had weapons with him – a few senbon needles in his obi – but he wasn't armed to defend himself against any hunters from Mist. Zabuza wasn't around either, and although he didn't need the older man to fight, it would help against an opponent of this caliber.

His thoughts paused, and he heard a tree branch bending down closer to him. Without missing a beat Haku whirled effortlessly towards the source of the noise, senbon already in hand. He flung the needles out, the almost hilariously thin cylinders of metal flying out with homicidal precision that his usual demeanor almost belittled.

Haku stood still for a moment, staring in the direction the needles had gone, but relying more on his sense of hearing than anything that he might see. He would have to go back to Zabuza and –

"You almost hit me," a voice all but purred in his ear as a hand landed on his shoulder. The teen's eyes widened and brought a senbon up to jab into the hand only to find his own hand captured as he was turned about, face to face with Orochimaru.

Haku's body was tensed, but as he saw only his 'pet' he relaxed slightly. It was just his snake; nothing to worry about. Still, at the back of his mind, a little voice nagged. Hunter nins couldn't catch him, but a man still recovering from injuries could..? There was something wrong with all this.

"You scared me," Haku stated, his guard not dropping as suspicion crept into his mind. It just wasn't fitting together… He wasn't sure who the man he picked up was, but the snake suddenly seemed much more dangerous.

"Scared you…? Tell me, little missing-nin, when was the last time you took a peek at a Bingo Book? Surely, you should know of me… Your precious Zabuza-san knows who I am."

The teen frowned, attempting to back up, but Orochimaru wouldn't loosen his grip. Not only did he know that Haku was a missing-nin, but he was in the Bingo Book as well? And Zabuza-san would know of him?

"Well, not to worry; I'm sure you'll understand soon enough." Orochimaru smiled, licking his lips as Haku came closer and closer to panicking.

The younger shinobi, suddenly finding himself driven into a corner, suddenly narrowed his eyes and reached into his shirt, only to find… nothing. His brown eyes opened wide again, and he cursed his own stupidity mentally; the small supply of weapons he'd brought had all been thrown away carelessly, save for the one held in his currently indisposed hand.

Looking around for possible escape routes, Haku was becoming more and more disgusted with his trusting nature. No wonder Zabuza-san always cursed him; he was a horrible tool.

"Don't look so frightened, this won't take long; trust me." The words were almost purred, a sweet, almost seductive tone laced into it. "And don't bother attempting to get away."

"Zabuza-san -"

"- Won't do anything; you lied to him, remember? Why would he bother with a 'tool' he can't even trust?" A sly smirk crossed Orochimaru's lips, his eyes all but sparking sadistic pleasure.

"He knows that he can rely on me," Haku stated, trying to keep Orochimaru from doing… whatever he was planning. The young teen's instincts didn't fail him often, and at the moment they were screaming that he needed to get away from this dangerous new enemy.

"Now now, I know what you're doing; I was an ANBU captain when your precious Zabuza" – the name was all but sneered – "was still wandering around in diapers, running into walls.

"Just relax, and this will all be fine," Orochimaru stated, leaning in towards the frightened boy.

Haku tried to pull back, but with his hand caught there wasn't much that he could do. The stronger man jerked him forward, causing him to almost run into the snake. Still, he was close enough, as the man leaned forward just a bit more and bit him on the neck.

Suddenly stiffening in the man's grasp, Haku shivered as he felt sharp teeth sink through the skin on his neck. But it was something more than just a bite; there was a numbing quality to it that seemed to be seeping out from the tears on his skin.

Orochimaru pulled back, smiling and licking his blood-stained lips.

"Good-bye for now, my little pet."

And then he was gone, and Haku had dropped his remaining senbon from his freed hand, clamping it over the wound on his neck. Increasingly worried by the unnatural pain surrounding his wound, and the idea of whom or what he had just run into, Haku began to run.

The woods rushed by him in a blur, bark and foliage blurring together unnaturally. He couldn't stop, the feeling that something bad was going to happen the second he did sitting his chest, heavy as lead.

But he did have to stop, dizzied by the world around him, and as soon as he stopped, everything seemed to tilt on its axis. The pain was now excruciating, and with one last look towards the sky, Haku fell over, landing with a dull thump on the ground.

His glazed eyes stared out at the ground for a moment, seeing nothing, and then they closed, consciousness leaving his mind.

Above him, the snow that he had wished for just a few days ago began to fall.

* * *

I'm sorry to say this, but in all likelihood, this is the last chapter of the story. That doesn't mean this is the end of it, because there was more to it than just that, but I don't know if I'll be able to continue this fanfiction the way that it has been written up to this point.

I don't like how I've done the characterization, and I basically think that I totally screwed some of my favorite Naruto characters. It's that fact that makes me want to stop writing this.

Now, there is a small possibility that I'll either try to rewrite this or just try and finish it up, but I'm not sure if I'll do either one. I really am sorry, because I know that some people liked this a lot, but I just can't go on with it the way it is.

If you have anything to say about this, please do so; I don't want to leave all of you reviewers hanging, because you're what made me try and keep this story alive for so much longer. Just tell me if you'd prefer a rewrite or just an ending for this, and I'll try my best to do something.

My apologies, again.


End file.
